Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1887-10-29
THE LIFE OF ALrA,,.
Considered an Gfuov,..
Der Once gnu. "s a

| ing Plant A.
~, Inc n,a Denver Field and Farm d.cu....
'ne question Of the longevity of ,,is,e
ana cites several instances tn 'haila
remarkable length OF time 70, ,n,: O" the
OF that grass will continue to visla " neld
crops Practically, it is said that large
shing as the plant dying ont IS 'a a
molten is unknown. 1t is said that s own
Q. a.faiia are still flourishing near tbo sa'
oient city OF Pueblo which we,s an,
in the days of Cortez, the invado. ,n'ed
however, seems open to question In's'
not possible that any accurate kaowl Is
a be had that these fields have euse
in the same condition for co ~ "ained
Quite they have been resesdsdy years
planted. S were first
But to come down to later A.:
are an of facts which n .reie
that alfalfa is by all odds the most prove
Iyeu loTage Pant known. A visito uns,
Cnlnuanua In 1874 found alfalfa cron,I 70
IN a neto near that city and purcba.as
some OF the hay for his mules. NPE. a,n
ing JUST iorty years later he found u a.
same heid and the same growth, and " ae
positiveiy assured that it had not bear was
seeded or fertilized for the entire re re-
years that bad elapsed. Furthermors O Ivy
tne owner OF the held said that to The h .ne
OF his belief it had been originally nI.n Tesi
over 100 years prior to 1874, p'anssd
In the valley Of Taos, in Mexico. ,h,..
is a held of alfalfa that is reliably ored Sieta
with having produced three crops = mae
for more than 100 consecutive Years yeaF
presant owner claims to have cut the o. luz
from the field for sixty years, s.nd has ' Is
iieyes the present crop was the largest =.
had ever seen. s''' ae
While California cannot, Of Course r..
nish any such instances as these ;ua r
quoted, still enough has been done be,o' a !.
show that beyond question an alfalfa az
will yield larger crops and grow longer ana
more luxuriantly without being raso ~~a
or MANFRED than any other grass. Il m.u
be suggested that the plant will reseed 4,
self, and doubtless this might be the c.as
But under ordinary circumstances il !,
never allowed to go to seed, being cut alw.rs
while in the bloom and before even ~
seed pods have been formed. Tn not ou s
case in ten in this State is alfalfa aliowaS
to mature seed, so that the assumption tb.t
it perpetuates itself is not tenable. When
the plant for any reason shows a disposit;on
to die out land this it does not form snu
cause inherent in itself, but from the raw
ages of animals or ~insects), it NAV he
remedied by scattering seed on the surface
and running a harrow over the eronnd
Ordinarily, however, when properly irrigated
there is no trouble to be unprecedented on
this score.
AS to fertilization not being necessary.
it seems probable that it is the constant
practice of irrigation which obviates tbis
necessity. or rather supplies the plantfood,
which would otherwise undoubtedly be.
come exhausted in time. It is a well.
known fact in those sections where irripa.
ton is practiced that fertilization is seldom
required 81 long as there is an abundant
supply of water, and this is doubtless the
secret of the long life of the alfalfa plant,
There are an abundance of instances in
California, where alfalfa has been growing
for twenty to twenty-five years, and even
more, in the same field, and still without
any apparent diminution in yield or thrift.